It has been rumored for a while now. Amazon held a press event in New York to unveil the much rumored Amazon console. Amazon took some time to talk about what is it that they’re trying to solve with the new set-up box, then threw some jabs at the competitors that the new console is aiming their crosshairs at, then they showed off the console… It’s a streaming set-top device that will allow you to stream movies, download music, and play games.
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Amazon Fire TV is small, compact, and well.. black. You can pretty much hide it anywhere you want since it’s touted to be as small as the size of a dime. The console itself costs $99.99 MSRP. You can buy it straight from Amazon.com here. Amazon’s Fire TV has a controller and a remote control as well. Both have their different uses. The controller is meant, obviously for gaming, and costs only $29.99 MSRP. The remote control works just like your TV remote. It’s intended for your everyday browsing just like your normal TV remote.
Image Credit: Devindra Hardawar/VentureBeat
Wait.. What’s the point of Amazon Fire TV if PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC are already out?
Amazon says that the console is meant for people “who has never touched a game console.” Some people say it’s a niche market.. but, except no. Amazon has been building the backbone infrastructure for years now; in the past, you could stream movies straight from Amazon.com, stream it on your current game consoles such as PS3, and Xbox 360. You could download music, but the next big thing they’ve done so far is entering the video game industry this year with Amazon Fire TV.
If you think they aren’t serious; Amazon acquired the same company that developed the reboot of Killer Instinct. To see Killer Instinct for Xbox One, click here. That company is called Double Helix, they’ve also developed the reboot of Strider. To see Strider for PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One, click here.
Amazon gathers around 650 million views every year, and around 60 million views every month. They have enough marketing muscle to sell this thing. When they compete in the same space as tablets, they’re making a killing. Now, when they entered the set-up box industry, which Apple, and other streaming companies are currently vying for.. They have a chance to make a dent in the streaming/cloud space. And that’s their target.
